Improvement in potato-digger



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H'IRAM' WEBSTER AND CYRUS POWERS,

NEW YORK.

OF EAST PE MBROKE,

Letters Patent No. 89,099, elated April 20, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN PQTATO-DIG-G-ER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same. y

To all whom t'tmay concern:

Be it known that we, Hman WnBs'rnn and Grnus POWERS. both Vof East Pembroke, in the county of Genesee, and State of New York, have invented acertain uew'and useful Improvement in Potato-Diggers; and we do hereby declare that the following. is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specifLCatiOn, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation with a -portiou broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan.

Figui'e 3 shows the lever and its appliances for raising and lowering the digger.

Figure 4 shows construction of rake-teeth and washer. j

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

Our invention consists in the specialarrangement of themachine, as hereinafter described, wherebythe same is adjustable higher or lower, and the rake aud scoop are made changeable to any angle or position.

Also in the construction ofthe revolving rake itself.

In the drawings- A A indicates the frame, and B B, the drivingwheels. Y

Inside the wheel-hubs Xfare fitted ratchet-couplings a a', thrown out by springs c c, so as to engage with similar couplings, a a', which form the hubs of spur-wheels D D', and rigidly connected with the axle b.

As the wheels run forward the teeth engage, but when they arebacked the couplings disengage by slipping off. Y

Aspecial feature of novelty is involved in this arrangement, by the location of thc springs c c, andthe' sliding couplings au., within the hubs of thewheels, by which means no extra space is lost; and also those parts are protected in the best manner from the vines, which could not be the case were. they exposed, as in ordinary couplings, such as harvester-s have.

The spur-wheels D D engage withl pinions :l fl', on the ends of the shaft ofthe revolving rake E.

This shaft is provided with four' (4) or more rows of inwardly-cu-rved teeth, c c c c, forming the revolving rake.

These teeth will bc made of wrought or malleable iron,'the four teeth in one piece (see iig. 4,) with a square eye, Z,"in the centre, to receive the square shaft, and which revolves the rake. Y

Y Washers, an., will be placed on the shaft, between each set of teeth, and a single nut, at the end, will serve to securely hohl and fasten them all on.

A special advantage in this construction is,\that these teeth start from the edge, and not from the ceutre, as is usual in revolving rakes thatI am acquainted with. By thus placing them, there is less strainv o n them, and itallows me to form them with a less curve, which makes them, in consequence, stronger and stiffer. If they were not thus placed, they would, in revolving, throw dirt, Ste., and potatoes forward, instead of baclnvard, as desired.

.in connection with this revolving rake, the digger (l has formed on its rear end a number of projecting teeth, fjj, between which the teeth e e e ofthe rake E revolve.

The digger is thus made a self-cleaner, and thereby possesses a great advantage, for, as the shovel scoops up the hills, it takes in matted dirt, weeds, and stones, as well as potatoes. By the continued forward action of.the machine, these are forced back over the pro jecting teeth f ff, through which the loose dirt falls. 'lheu the revolving teeth e e e cocine through the interstices, tear apart the dirt, &c., and catch and throw out backward, over the revolving shaft, the stones and potatoes. It thus never gets clogged.

We are aware thatit is common to employ a revolving rake for striking into the soil and throwing out the potatoes.

Aside from its peculiar construction, ours performs only a secondary part, by acting with the scoop G and its teeth f f f, which it cleans, keeps from clogging,

and throws out backward the potatoes, as before stated.

The digger C is fastened to the `sides of the main frame, outside, by screws or bolts g g', passing through slots h h, so arranged that the pitch of the digger can 'be regulated.

The revolving rake is also held, and set higher or l lower, by slotted supports F F, one varranged on each side of frame A, the lower ends fastened to arms G G, which support the shaft of the rake.

lhe upper ends of these arms are made with loops, arranged and supported around the axle b, which revolves through them.

The special feature of novelty we here claim is, the relation,adaptation, and adjustment of the parts O and E, through the medium of the devices g h and Gr F.

In different soils, and under different circumstances, it will not only be necessary to adjust the pitch of the digger and the height ofthe rake, as before described,

but also to adj ust the two parts relatively to each other.`

For instance, if the potato-tops are green, and the tubers cling, it may be necessary to raise the rake higher above the digger than otherwise, so as to subject them to greater agitation in being elevated and thrown over. It may also be necessary to adjust them nearer together or furtherapart,

This arrangement of the parts g h, G F, combined with the digger and rake, allows such adjustment, and we believe this arrangement to be new and original with ourselves.

For raisingand lowering the digger, two plates, H H, provided with cog-bars i, i (see iig. 3,) are attached1 one on each side, inside the main frame A. Each has a slot, j, through which the main axle b passes.

Two pinions, I I', (one on each side,) resting loosely around the axle b, engage the cogs z' i of the bearings These pinions are connected by extensions or arms, and are connected from side to side by a piece of wood oriron, J, acting as bearing for a bent lever, K. This vlever is attached to this connecting-piece J .on the It is then bent over, and cornes up right-hand side. Within reach of the driveris hand, the drivers seat being over the axle.

Figs. l and 3 show the position ofthe digger when lowered, and iig. 2 when raised, the lever K standing perpendicularly, and engaged in bearing or notch la.

By this arrangement, great leverage is obtained, and the whole machine is raised or lowered bv the right hand. It is an important attachment, as it allows the driver to raise the digger and run over-stones, stunps, 85e., which would otherwise, from concussion, 850., greatly injure the machine. i

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The arrangement, withthe inter-matching rake E and digger O, of the bolts and slots g h, and the bars and braces F G, said devices serving to adjust the said rake and digger relatively with Veach other, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the above, the arrangement of, the cog-bars 'i i, -pinions I I', slots jj, connectingpiece J, and lever K, the whole operating in the manner and for the purpose specied.

3. The construction of the revolving rake, forming four teeth, e e e e, on one piece, each tooth projecting from the square, and not the centre, and having square eye l, for the reception ofthe square shaft, with washers m m between each series of teeth, arranged and constructed as herein set forth.

4. The machine, as a whole, consisting of the digger C, adjustable by bolts and slots g h, the rake E, adjustable by bars and braces F G, the cog-bars i @',pinions I, slots j j, connecting-piece J, and lever K, the whole operating as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof, we havehereunto signed our names, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

,HIRAM WEBSTER. CYRUS POWERS.

Witnesses:

J. R. BRAKE, ALBERT HAIGHT. 

